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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Stephen Hawking: The Man Who Changed Our Understanding Of Everything

Dr. Stephen J. Hawking, the author of A Brief History Of Time and The Universe In A Nutshell, and who is said to be very close to formulating a theory to explain everything in the universe, is "very ill" in hospital, according to Cambridge University where he’s taught mathematics since 1979. There was a hint last month that his health was failing when Arizona State University announced Hawking cancelled a planned April appearance.

If Hawking is near death, he will leave behind a remarkable legacy: He changed how we understand everything about the entire universe around us.

Despite being stricken with ALS – Lou Gerhig’s Disease – while still an undergrad, Hawking may be the most productive, prolific and profound mathematician of our time. During an era when much of science saw Einstein’s E=mc2 as a conclusion, Hawking’s singular genius came from realising it was merely a starting point. Over a 30 year span, this basic awareness allowed Hawking to demonstrate not just the truth of the “Big Bang” but why physics and mathematics compelled it to occur. So much for all of that crackpot “intelligent design” nonsense.

He also used his positively radical idea about Einstein to prove that gravity warps time and that time itself is curved. Hawking establish the reality of black holes and, by the way, why they provide rebirth after a couple hundred million years of destroying anything that comes close including gravity and light. His writings gave rise to “string theory,” which may end up being the proof of how and why everything that is, is.

Along the way, Hawking found time to write and narrate several television specials based on his theories. Next year, Discovery Channel will air Stephen Hawking's Universe, a three-part special exploring the nature of the cosmos.

For fun, he made cameo appearances in The Simpson’s and Star Trek: The Next Generation. One of my favourite Simpson episodes finds Homer stumbling through a time warp in Bart’s room and, when he falls out the other side, mutters to himself “Ooo, I wish I understood more about what that Stephen Hawking guy was writing about.”

Oh, and Hawking enabled me to reach a rudimentary understanding of the meaning of quantum mechanics, physics and higher mathematics. Since I never met the man, this is quite an accomplishment given that, despite intensive tutoring in eighth grade algebra, I still do not grasp why A+B must always equal C.

Not a bad list of accomplishments for a man who, for much of his life, was unable to move anything more than an eyelid and the energy inside his massively powerful brain.

3 comments:

I wonder if Stephen Hawking would have been as prolific if he had not had ALS? I wonder if it provided both focus and urgency? I wonder what could be discovered by others if they had no choice but to sit and think all day.

I also wonder how many others with ALS would live longer and more productive lives if they had the same degree of medical care as Stephen Hawking?

COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF SCIENCE OF RELIGION (THEOLOGY)I have written following two papers which may lead to the realization for a higher theory of everything:(i) Gravitation Force is the Ultimate Creator,(1st Int. Conf. on Revival of Traditional Yoga, Lonavla Yoga Institute, Lonavla, January, 2006)(ii) In Scientific Terminology, Source of Gravitational Wave is God(2nd World Congress on Vedic Science, BHU, Varanasi, Feb 2007)I have presented these two papers at the two different International Conferences. I am now submitting some views for being considered for Unified Field TheoryFrom Scriptures: (Prem Patra by His Holiness Huzur Maharaj)The Current which manifested in the beginning of the creation is the Current of Sabda (Sound) and of Chaitanya (Consciousness). From whom that Current issued forth is known as Soami (Supreme Being). This Current, by turning back can merge again in the Holy Feet of Supreme Being. The entire creation manifested from this current and is sustained with its energy and when the Current of the Holy Feet is withdrawn, the creation ceases to exist.This Current of the Holy Feet is the Reservoir of all energy, tastes and pleasures, knowledge, skill, shapes, forces and light etc. etc. and of the entire creation, is also the Creator of all of them.From Science:Gravitation Force is the cause of manifestation of the creation (birth of planets, stars), its sustenance and when it is withdrawn towards centre or source the entire creation ceases to exist. Photons have originated from gravitons. In black holes photons merge into gravitons. In Black Holes, Gravitational Force is so high that it does not allow even light to escape. What does it mean then? It simply means that the gravitational force at black-holes attracts light towards it with much greater velocity than the speed of light. In fact, all forces including electromagnetic force, material force (strong and weak nuclear force) all merge into gravitational force in black-holes and becomes one force there and when the creational process starts again from a Black-Hole all the forces appear (manifest) again and descends downwards to create billions of stars, planets, satellite, asteroids and various life forms. Hence it can be assumed that the Current of Chaitanya (Consciousness) and Gravitational Wave are the two names of the same Supreme Essence (Seed) which has brought forth the entire creation.All cosmological researches should be conducted keeping in view of the following philosophical facts:It has been stated in Bible (John I-1) “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,”Mohammedans hold that God uttered ‘Kun’ (i.e. ‘Came into being’) and the creation came into being (Holy Quran, Sur. Bakr (II.117).In Chhandogya Upanishad it is written “Tadaikshat bahu syam prajayeyeti” (VI-2-iii) i.e. “It thought (desired) Would that I were many! Let me procreate myself!” The Aitareya Upanishad says,”Sa ikshat ‘lokannusrija’ iti (I-1-i) i.e. “He bethought himself (desired) – ‘Let me create worlds’, etc. etc.It is written in Chapter VII of Srimad Bhagavadgita : Sri Bhagwan said, “Arjun, now listen how with the mind attached to Me and practicing Yoga with absolute dependence on Me, you will know Me in entirety and without any shadow of doubt” (1). I shall unfold to you in its entirety this wisdom alongwith the Knowledge of the qualified aspect of God, having known which nothing else remains yet to be known in this world (2). Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and also ego; these constitute My nature eightfold divided. This indeed is My lower (material) nature : the other than this, by which the whole universe is sustained, know it to be My higher nature in the form of Jiva, O Arjuna. (4-5). Arjuna, know that all beings have evolved from this twofold Prakriti, and that I am the source of the entire creation, and into Me again it disappears.(6)The Radhasoami Religion also tells that, the ‘Word’ mentioned above is in fact Current of Sound or Current of Consciousness or Prime Current of Spirituality which was issued forth from its Source, or Creator or God. This Current has later on produced light and other forces. The scientists are discussing these days about dark energy which constitute about 96% of the entire universe which is not known to us. Only 4% part of the universe is known to us by all scientific means. In fact this 96% invisible portion of the universe is the vast expanse of spirituality which can be designated as field of gravitational waves in scientific terms. Visible portion of the universe (4%) consists of consciousness (gravitational force), mental force (electromagnetic waves) and material force (strong and weak nuclear force).Body = Nuclear Force (weak as well as strong)Mind = Electromagnetic Force.Consciousness = Gravitation Force.According to Radhasoami Religion the whole Universe can be sub-divided into three grand divisions viz.1. Region of Pure Spirituality2. Region of Subtle Maya3. Region of Gross MayaNuclear forces dominate Region of Gross Maya (Gross Material Region), Electro-magnetic forces dominate Region of Subtle Maya (Subtle Material Region) and Gravitational Force dominates Pure Spiritual Region.This is the only Truth which can be verified scientifically and can be termed as ‘higher theory for everything’. This also supports the statement of Sir Sahabji Maharaj that ‘the goal of science – Truth; the goal of philosophy – Ultimate Reality; and the goal of religion – God’ are the three names of same supreme essence.Many things are common between Current of Consciousness and Gravitational Wave.1. Current of consciousness can not be seen by any means and gravitational wave can also not be seen.2. Current of consciousness is the weakest force on earth. Its strength goes on increasing on higher regions. Gravitational force is also very weak on earth and strong on Sun and even more stronger on black holes.3 Tendency of both current of consciousness and gravitational waves are towards their source or centre.4. Current of consciousness and gravitational force are both regarded as the creater of all the celestial and terrestrial bodies of the whole universe. They are also sustainer of these and when they turn back towards their source or centre the whole universe will collapse.Hence it can be assumed that the source of current of consciousness and gravitational wave is the same i.e. God or ultimate creator.This theory is based on scientific deduction. In scientific terms it can be said that the ‘gravitons’ are the elementaryparticle which was issued forth in the beginning of the creation accompanying with sound ‘Radha’

It is interesting to consider that "intelligent design" makes sense not in the way most people think, but in the sense that man, with consciousness, merely creates metaphor to "explain" the world and in so doing supplies all the design elements we supposedly "discover". We forget that mathematics is not an absolute but a thought and belief system of metpahors that we impose on the world (albeit a useful one). Understanding that one cannot seperate the "observer" from the "observed" (as shown by quantum mechanics) we should remember that consciousness is actively creating the "design" of the universe at all times. There are no absolute "laws" of the universe to be "discovered" that can be seperated from developing, evolving consciousness.Scott Johnson

Charley James

About Me

If you were born in post-war Milwaukee, you were born a Democrat. So I gravitated naturally to liberal politics, first as journalist and then an activist. I've been writing since I was eight years old and, after working far too long in newsrooms - local newspapers, major market television and radio stations, assistant editor of a major business newsweekly - I've spent much of the past decade as an independent investigtative jouralist. Media outlets have published, cited or quoted me including The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Financial Post, TruthOut, LA Progressive, UK Progressive, TVO, PBS and BBC News. When not covering and writing about politics, I scribble out random thoughts on the peculiarites of modern times.